Chicken is a staple of our family diet, and that’s perfectly fine. We can dress it up and dress it down. Likewise with pork and beef. But my favorite meat is lamb - and we don’t enjoy it nearly enough.

Lamb isn’t just for special occasions

A friend tells me a story of traveling in New Zealand and how everything we think of with beef, they make with lamb (more sheep than people, you know). Once she saw “hamburger” listed at a restaurant and was excited to have some beef, but it was made with - you guessed it - lamb. Sounds like heaven to me, actually.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my grandmother making leg of lamb for Sunday dinner. While many associate lamb with special occasions (including Easter), it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many lovely ways to enjoy lamb every single day. While not the cheapest meat at the market, it is a lovely variation for many meals.

One of the nicest and easiest ways to enjoy lamb is grilled lamb chops. After seasoning the chops with fresh rosemary, garlic and sea salt, grill for several minutes on each side until the meat is done to your liking. Really, it is that simple. The flavor of lamb speaks for itself!

Lamb delectably pairs with both sweet and savory flavors

Lamb is a staple of many ethnic cuisines and goes well with so many flavors - from the classic garlic and rosemary to the succulent sun-dried tomatoes and olives and balsamic vinegar. On the fruity side, pomegranate, apricots and cherries also work especially well. And, of course, mint jelly (though it was never my thing, it was a favorite of my father’s). Lamb can be marinated or dry rubbed - or prepared very, very simply.

My kids favorite ways to enjoy lamb is in lamb pilaf, and in a dish made with honey and hoisin sauce over couscous. At Indian restaurants, I always go for the lamb saag. We’ve tried and like lamb sausages, though they can be hard to find here in the outer ‘burbs. I make a variation on leg of lamb every year for Easter. And on Christmas Day, I put together a lamb stew in the morning after gifts are opened, and let it simmer most of the day for a hearty but relaxed mid-afternoon meal with spaetzle made by my husband and a salad.

Lamb Stew

Lamb stew is definitely one of those “put it together as it feels right to you” dishes. Use this as a jumping off point!

2 lbs lamb stew meat, cubed
Flour
Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 carrots and/or parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 to 3 stalks of celery, chopped
Mushrooms, quartered
Red wine
Meat stock - preferably lamb stock, of course
Several potatoes, washed well and chopped
Salt and pepper

Toss the cubed lamb meat in the flour so it’s just coated.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. When it’s hot, toss in the lamb and brown on all sides. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, celery and mushrooms and saute 5 to 10 minutes. The veggies should be browning.

Pour in some red wine and shake the pan to deglaze. Add the potatoes. Then add in enough stock to cover everything and then some. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn it way down to a simmer and cover. Let simmer until it’s done to your liking, checking occasionally and adjusting the seasoning.

This goes great over egg noodles, cooked barley, or any type of dumplings.

Gifts made with love by your kids can be the most appreciated and remembered gifts for family and friends. Not only is creating gifts from scratch more meaningful than a hastily grabbed store-bought item, it also helps pique all the senses of your little ones and gives them an empowering feeling of pride at their heart-filled creations. Let your kids be Santa’s little elves in the kitchen this year. Here are some kid-friendly foodie gifts, courtesy of children’s book author Beth Engelman.

Homemade gifts are extra special

“When it comes to getting gifts from children, nothing is more special than the ones they make by hand,” says Engelman, who is currently working on a craft book with illustrator Jenna Riggs. “Perhaps it’s because children are so sincere and authentic when it comes to making things that their sense of wonder and desire to create something special is palpable. Rarely is anyone so intent on making the ‘greatest gift in the universe’ than a child.”

Making gifts is rewarding for children - and parents

As a mother of a “rambunctious three year old,” Engelman has seen first-hand how calming and rewarding following a predictable set of instructions - or recipe - can be for a child. She credits the repetition of creating multiple presents as well as the multi-sensorial experiences that gift-making involves as being beneficial for her son Jackson and for herself. She adds, “Creating things by hand is indeed more thoughtful and meaningful for the recipient. [And] as far as I’m concerned it beats dragging my easily excitable little guy to an over-stimulating store.”

Tips to get your tykes interested in making gifts from the kitchen

One year, your children may insist on making food-type gifts; the next year, they may not be so enthused. If your little ones are a bit reluctant on the gift-making, Engelman suggests the following tips to keep them keen on the kitchen.

1. Make it sweet! What’s not to love about baking a cake, decorating cookies or dipping pretzels in chocolate? Set aside some sweet odds and ends as you prepare your gifts. A few chocolate chips, candy cane pieces or broken pretzels can pique - and keep - your child’s interest.

2. Let them participate. Have your child help you measure, sift, stir and mash. These are easy and fun tasks they can do while you take care of anything requiring knives or something hot. If your present includes artistry, such as decorating a cookie cake, make your child the artist in charge!

3. Make it simple. Stay away from making overly complex recipes or ones that involve a great deal of technique. Keep the process simple so you and your child won’t get discouraged.

4. Use repetition. Take advantage of making multiple gifts by making the same thing more than once. With each repetition, your kiddos will get more familiar with the process which will increase their confidence and make the experience that much more fun for everyone.

Holiday gifts your kids can make

Simple gifts of food can be easily assembled by your children and, with a little creative packaging, their gifts will be the highlight of the giftees on your Christmas list. Here are Engelman’s top kid-friendly picks for gift-making.

The Perfect Nighttime Snack

Fill up a large clear vase with the perfect nighttime snack - popcorn and milk duds. Engleman suggests using a vase you already have and to layer popcorn and milkduds, placing a sheet of aluminum foil - which acts as a shelf - in between. She says, “This is a great activity to do with your kids who will love to pour each layer and watch how the recipe ‘grows.’”

Traditional Cookie Mix in a Mason Jar

The layering technique also works well (and is lovely) with a cookie dough recipe. Pull out your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and layer flour, salt, baking soda, sugars and chocolate chips in a large mason jar. Then include a recipe card or note with instructions to add the butter, eggs and vanilla as well as the baking temperature and time. Wrap curly ribbon around the lid and you’ve got a delicious last minute gift that your kids can put together for the holidays or any other gift-giving time of the year.

Wishing you Love, Laughter and S’more!

For the camper on your gift list, a box of s’more fixins couldn’t be more appreciated. Engelman recommends recycling on old gift box or shoebox and work with your child on decorating it or covering it with wrapping paper. Fill the box with neatly tied bags of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate chunks - or attach a giant chocolate bar to the top of the box. On a notecard, wish the recipients Love, Laughter and S’more and then watch them run to the nearest campfire.

Grilled Cheese Platter for the Gang

Need a food gift to feed a crowd? Engelman says, “When it comes to giving gifts to a large group such as the staff at your child’s pediatrician office or sports complex, this is a favorite. Jackson loves making the sweet seasoning mixture and ‘taste testing’ the apple slices.”

Combine in an aluminum pan or inexpensive platter:
1 loaf of rustic Italian bead, sliced
1 chunk of Havarti cheese, sliced
Several red apples sliced and wrapped in airtight saran wrap to prevent browning
A zip lock bag, empty baby food jar, or Tupperware container filled with a mixture of 1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar.

Include the following directions on a recipe card:
Combine bread, cheese, apple and sweet seasoning mix. Toast for 3 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and ENJOY!!

Note: Most offices and work places have toaster ovens in their “kitchens” or break rooms.

An oldie but a goodie - Hot Chocolate Mix

Use a canning jar with a detachable inner ring. Use the jar’s lid to trace and cut one circle from colored cardstock, an old calendar, or greeting card. The circle will be the can’s lid. Decorate the circle if desired. Let your kids layer store-bought cocoa mix, mini chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows in the jar. Place the paper “lid” on top and then screw on the inner ring to make sure the lid is airtight. Include a note card with directions to make hot cocoa and tie a ribbon around the lid.

Note: Mason jars can be filled with anything, from homemade trail mix to chocolate dipped pretzels. Give your kids a variety of ideas for fillers and let them decide which ones to include.

Getting your kids in the kitchen to make holiday gifts from scratch not only gives you quality family time (which can be so short during the holiday hustle bustle), but it also teaches your children an appreciation for using their hands - and creativity - in making gifts for others. Happy Holidays!

December is a time when many people up their culinary efforts, and I am no exception. In addition to planning some delicious meals and making lots of cookies, I also try to make some gifts for various friends and neighbors.

Creative Christmas gifts from the kitchen

Holiday food gifts tend to fall into a few categories: beverages (alcoholic or otherwise), cookies and bars, various kinds of breads, and snack items (such as candied pecans or other snack mix). And scrumptious categories they are! But it’s also fun to try to come up with something unexpected - and it doesn’t have to be sweet, either. One year I made salad dressing. Yup, salad dressing.

When we were first married, it happened that we found a salad dressing recipe that we rather liked, and then really liked after we refined it bit. Then friends started complimenting us on it when they visited for dinners. And before we knew it, we were making 20 batches of raspberry poppy seed salad dressing for our friends for Christmas. No joke.

Turn your signature recipe into a holiday gift

If you want to try something unexpected for a holiday food gift, start by examining your regular recipe repertoire. Is there something you make often, that perhaps your friends know you for? Maybe a condiment of some kind? A salsa or a chutney that keeps well?

Another option is to look to the past. Several years ago, a cousin presented us with a jar of pickles at Christmas - made from a shared great aunt’s recipe she had found. Perhaps it’s a fruit conserve your grandmother used to make?

Have you taken up a culinary hobby? Smoking meats or making cheese or roasting coffee? (I would love to receive some freshly smoked bacon as a gift!) We’ve even given home-roasted coffee as presents in holidays past.

Is there something from your ethnic heritage that would be a little different - or even ordinary? I’m not suggesting that you go presenting your neighbors with a haggis if you’re Scottish (though you could, of course), but homemade frozen meatballs from an Italian friend would be much appreciated.

Perhaps you could make a kit of some kind, out of the non-perishable ingredients of a favorite dish. All the dry ingredients for your awesome chocolate chip cookies packaged attractively in a old-fashioned milk bottle, for example.

The possibilities really are much broader than you might first consider. No matter what you choose to make for friends this holiday season, have fun with it. You never know what new tradition might arise!

Raspberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

You can use just about any kind of fruit vinegar for this dressing, or use a combination of fruit vinegar and red wine vinegar (depending on the relative sweetness of the fruit vinegar).

1 egg
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 c raspberry wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp grated yellow onion, including juice
2 c canola oil
3 tbsp poppy seeds

Combine the egg, sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt and onion in a food processor and pulse several times to combine. (You also can use a hand blender in a regular bowl.) With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the canola oil until you have a smooth emulsion. Stir in the poppy seeds.

This salad dressing looks great presented in a flip-top Grolsch bottle (emptied and cleaned, of course), or other decorative bottle. Tie a bright ribbon around the top with a tag, and maybe even the recipe.

Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1 tbsp water
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 lb pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet, or line it with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Whip together the egg white and water until frothy. Separately, combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Toss the nuts in the egg white mixture until evenly coated, then toss them in the sugar mixture until evenly coated.

Spread the nuts out on the cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before packaging. You can use a tin, or just some cellophane bags with a festive ribbon at the top. You also can use the same basic recipe for almonds or hazelnuts.

With Thanksgiving just hours away, it’s time to take a few moments to double-check - no, triple-check - that everything is in order. I’ve had my share of big meal bumbles over the years, and taking a few moments a few days before could have avoided most of them. To be honest, I was the only one who noticed some of them and the only one who cared about others, but, still, it feels so much better when everything goes smoothly.

The food

Write out your menu one last time on a clean sheet of paper. All the other notes you have scribbled on the edges of the original menu listing? They probably belong on another list.

Now, with fresh menu in hand, go double-check the recipes. If the recipe is in a book or magazine, note the publication and page number next to the menu item - then make sure all your books and magazines are in a single place. If the recipe is on a card or piece of paper? Paper-clip them to your menu.

Check that you, in fact, do have all the ingredients necessary for every recipe. This is particularly important with spices! Last Thanksgiving, I realized that morning I was out of mace for one of my desserts. No stores were open, so we did without, and clearly survived. But it would have been nice to have the mace.

If there are items you need, write your last-minute marketing list and paper clip it to your menu. Don’t go shopping yet, though. There are other things to check.

The setting

Check to see that you have all the tablecloths, napkins, plates, cups, wine glasses and flatware that you need. Check that it is all clean. Will any of your menu items require special place setting pieces? Soup bowls. Check that you have enough of those, too. Make sure the linens are clean. Once I was one shy on napkins because the napkins I intended to use turned out to be somewhat stained in the light of Thursday morning and I had to go for the backups. If your linens need an extra launder, get to it straight away.

Check your serveware. Do you have all the dishes and serving utensils you need? Make a note of which serving piece goes with which menu item on your menu listing.

In the kitchen, make sure you have enough pots and pans for all your dishes. If you need to borrow a pot from a neighbor, do so now. Also, give the kitchen a pretty good cleaning before you start in on messing it up with preparations for the big meal. While you are cleaning the kitchen, take a extra pass through the bathrooms, too.

The scheduling

Now for the tricky part: the scheduling. I’ve never been particularly good at getting everything done at the same time. Something is always done way too early and something is always lagging. With careful scheduling, though, I almost hit it last year. Almost.

Starting with the time I hope to sit down to eat, I work backward, including rest time, for the time at which I need to put the turkey in the oven. I write this on my new menu. This is the time around which everything else will revolve. I check the temperatures and times for other menu items to try to figure out which can share oven space, and which can be prepared mostly stove-top with a last minute warming while the turkey rests. These are all times I note on the menu. What, temperature, how long.

Next I determine how much I can prepare in advance, and work that into the early part of the schedule. While I can chop herbs or mince garlic in advance, I don’t like to peel and cut potatoes early due to browning.

The final market run

Once I’ve double- and triple-checked everything, I usually have a list of little things I still need to pick up at the store. In the past I’ve bought stain remover for a final laundering of linens, herbs and spices, whipped cream for dessert, and the occasional serving dish. Make sure you get it all in this last trip because stores likely won’t be open in the morning.

If I may make a suggestion, add one more item to your final run-out-to-the-store list: champagne. My father started this tradition in our family of always having champagne with big family meals. Celebrate a wonderful meal together and the meaning of the day.

Direct help to the list

When guests have arrived and I am in my final rush to get food on the table, someone always offers to help. Thank goodness! The list is there for that as well. I can say, “Please check my list to see what time the Brussels sprouts need to go in the oven,” or, “Can you put the potatoes in whatever dish I’ve listed on the menu?”

If you can manage a big Thanksgiving dinner without such a level of listing and notation, bless you. You are a better person than I. But I need such lists and schedules to get through this busy day. I feel all the more thankful when I haven’t forgotten this, that or the other thing.